The Blood Tests To Diagnose Brain Injury Are Now Approved By The FDA

The FDA approved the blood tests that can detect signs of brain injury. The method of taking blood tests to diagnose brain injury was discovered some years ago but just yesterday the FDA approved it.

The Banyan Brain Trauma Indicator

The test is designed to detect two brain cells’ proteins that can drain into the bloodstream after a head injury. Its developers, Banyan Biometrics scientists, stated that their blood test can diagnose concussions within 12 hours after the injury occurred.

For the moment, it is expected to be available in Emergency Rooms in the US hospitals this year but it will be double-checked by a CT scan.

However, Banyan Biometrics hopes that their test will eventually replace CT scans.

CT scan, in fact, was, until now, the only existing method to confirm the preliminary diagnosis of brain injury but it does have one big downside, namely radiation exposure.

The US Military was involved in the fast-paced FDA approval

Due to the frequent brain injuries suffered by the US soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, the army representatives declared that the production of blood tests to accurately depict brain trauma within hours are a necessity in conflict zones.

Thus, Banyan Biometrics was hired to develop such a blood test and all the expenses with the development and clinical trials were supported by the US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command.

The FDA approved it in just 6 months from the moment the dossier was received. This fast approval was probably influenced by the Military necessity for such blood tests.

Brain injuries are very common

Traumatic brain injuries are a common condition in the US as they are affecting more than 2 million people. On the other hand, globally, traumatic brain injuries affect more than 10 million people.

The usual detection method for concussions will remain CT scans outside Emergency Rooms of the US hospitals but the newly FDA-approved blood tests to diagnose brain injury are believed to gain more popularity later this year.